Mercury-contact breaker.



L. BAUMBISTBR. MERCURY CONTACT BREAKER. APPLICATION IILED NOV: 12, 1910.

1,000,320, j Patented Aug.8, 191=1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC LEONHARD BAUMEISTER, 0F ERLANGEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB TO-KNY-SCHEERER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MERCURY-CONTACT BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

, rapid extinction of the spark. For this purpose a. gas or steam-blast is formed at the end of the contact pin when it leaves the mercury by the action of the spark on an extinguishing fluid floating on the surface of the mercury.

According to the present invention the contact is inclosed by a bell or chamber which is closed at the bottom by the mercury, and prevent s'the gas or vapor, which is generated by the action of the spark on the extinguishing fluid from expanding upward, so that the pressure of the gas or vapor is caused to act downward on the surface of the mercury situatedat the pointof interruption, and the mercury is suddenly forced downward bythe generated gas or vapor, whereby the sparkproduced on the breaking of the contact is rapidly extin-- guished, and thus a complete interruption of the circuit insured, even when the contact pin is raised relatively slowly.

One form of such a contact-breaker is illustrated in the drawing, Figure 1 being a vertical section thereof. Figs. 2, 3 and a detail views showing dilferent positions of the contact. pin.

As shown, the contact pin 1 extends downward into a chamber 2., which is closed at the top by means of a lid 8 having a downwardly-projecting portion 9, said portion 9 being provided at its lower end with a bell 4 that extends half-way into the mercury 3.

' The contact pin is arranged within portion 9, and a recess 10 is formed in said portion 9 whereby part of the length of the contact pin' is exposed. I:

In order to enable the contact pin 1 to be actuated from the outside, the contact pin is carried relatively tightly through. a passage 5 provided in the top of the hollow chamber; The contact pin can be moved by means of a solenoid 6, which acts in the manner of an automatic interrupter on the iron core 7 furnished with the contact pin 1. When the contact pin is raised through the action of the solenoid 6 to such an extent that it quite leaves the mercury (Fig. 2) the heat of the spark formed at the point of interruption acting on the extinguishing liquid, alcohol for example, generates enough gas to produce a relatively high pressure. As the chamberQ is closed at the top and only the mercury situated below is displaceable, the latter is suddenly forced downward by the gas pressure (see Fig. 3 so that in this way a rapid interruption of the current is effected.

For -the purpose of removing the gas pressure, and restoring the normal level of the mercury,the contact-pin 1 is moved upward at each interruption to such an extent that it opens the passage 5 (Fig. 4).-

ln order to further accelerate the interruption a plurality of contact pins may be arranged so that the points at which they break contact are circuited in series.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A contact breaker comprising, in combination, a receptacle, a layer of electrical conducting liquid disposed therein, a contact member adapted to make and break contact with said liquid, a bell disposed over said liquid in which said contact member works, a liquid disposed within said bell adapted to expand when a spark is created by the breaking of the contact between said conducting liquid and said contact member and to force said conducting liquid away from said contact member, and means for feeding said liquid to within said bell.

2. A contact breaker comprising, in combination, a receptacle, a layer oft-electrical conducting liquid disposed therein, a contact member adapted to make and break contact with said liquid,a bell disposed over said liquid in which said contact member works, and a layer of liquid disposed over said conducting liquid and within said bell adapted to expand when a spark is created by the breaking of the contact between said conducting fluid and said contact member, and to force said electrical conducting liquid away from said contact member.

3. A mercury contact breaker comprising,

cury disposed therein, a contact member adapted to made and break contact with said mercury, a bell disposed over said mercury and in which said contact member works, and a layer'of fluid disposed above I said mercury and within said bell adapted to expand when a spark is created by the breaking of the contact between said mercury and said contact member and to force said mercury away from said contact member.

4:. A mercury contact breaker comprising, in combination, a receptacle, a layer of mercury disposed therein, a contact member adapted to make and break contact with said mercury, a bell disposed over said mercury and in which said contact member works, a layenof liquid disposed above said mercury and within said bell adapted to vaporize when a spark is created by the breaking of the contact between said mercury and said contact member and to force said mercury away from said contact member, and means for periodically admitting a quantity of said liquid within said bell.

5. A mercury contact breaker comprising, in combination, a receptacle, a layer ofmercury disposed therein, a'contaot member to make and break contact with said mercury, means for actuating said contact member, a layer of fluid disposed over said mercury, means for inclosing a portion of said fluid and within which said contact member Works, the inclosed fluid being adapted to expand when a spark is created between the contact member and said mercury, and a passage for establishing communication between said inclosed fluid and the fluid without said inclosing means. I

' 6. A mercury contact breaker comprising, in combination, a receptacle, a layer of me cury disposed therein, a lid for said receptacle provided with a downwardly projecting portion said portion having a laterally disposed recess, a bell at the lower end of said projecting portion, a contact member arranged in said projecting portion for making and breaking contact with said mercury within said bell, a layer of fluid disposed over' said mercury and within said bell, the inclosed fluid in said bell being adapted to expand when a spark is created therein and to force said mercury away from said contact member, a passageway between said lateral-recess and said bell establishing communication between said inclosed fluid and the fluid without said bell, and means for actuating said contact member. a

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

I LEONHARD BAUMEISTER. 

